Archive for September, 2010

I’m in Dallas, TX preparing for a day of training, when the nightly news comes on with this shocking headline;

Bedbug infestations have exploded over the last few years!

Video close ups of the nasty little things provide enough icky feelings to make the newscast a hit – for the station and the source of the data (more on that momentarily).

I go online. A Google search shows 1st page listings with increases of the insect in the states of New York, Tennessee, Texas, South Dakota, Arizona and California. London, England was also under siege.

The next day I ask my training attendees who’s heard the bedbug news? All 30 hands go up.

“Keep your hand up if you were surveyed about an increase in bedbugs at your home.” All 30 hands go down.

So how exactly does one measure an increase in bedbugs across our already insect-ridden planet?

Did I forget to mention the National Bedbug Summit that just convened in Chicago?

That’s newsworthy – unique and a bit funny – so the national media picked it up and just parroted back to the public the data provided by the founders of this first-ever summit.

And what a surprise that all the attendees benefit by charging hotels and motels loads of money to destroy the beasts.

And if you wanted help for your home, that’ll be about $1,000 to eliminate them from your place.

In an act of intergalactic irony, you will have to leave your house and stay at a local hotel while the home’s bedbugs are being destroyed. So you might just bring back new ones with you, to replace what you just paid to remove.

Here’s what’s important for business pros to know about this story.

You are responsible for your own success.

Not getting enough leads – you’re responsible.

Not enough closed business – you’re responsible.

Not getting enough national or local publicity – you’re responsible.

What are you going to do about this?

You are responsible for your own success.

Sleep on that, and (I apologize for the obvious ending) don’t let the bedbugs bite.